– Katy Perry, Art Critic?: The Pop singer will co-judge "Doodle 4 Google," an art contest in which kids compete to put their own stamp on the Google homepage logo. The best among the 50 finalists — one from each state — will pocket a $30,000 scholarship and a $50,000 technology grant for his or her school. American Idol alum Jordin Sparks will join Perry on the judging panel. [LAT]

– Hockney Gets a Bad Grade: After seeing David Hockney's highly anticipated exhibition at the Royal Academy, the painter's former art teacher called the collection "too gaudy." "I'm sorry to say that what David does now is rubbish," said the former Bradford College of Art professor. "David has become, well, more of a decorator with those bright colors." Ouch. [Daily Mail]

– Sarkozy's Controversial History Museum Finds Venue: Still without budget or an official program, the French history museum Maison de l'Histoire de France is to find a home at Paris's Archives Nationales. Building works are currently estimated at €80 million ($103 million). [Conaissance des Arts]

– Matthew Marks's High-Art Shop Sign: The L.A. Times's Christopher Knight reviews the "shop sign" Ellesworth Kelly created for the facade of Matthew Marks Gallery's new Los Angeles outpost. The wide, thick rectangle of painted aluminum "exerts an ineluctable presence, at once restrained and assertive, high overhead." The dealer, who helped start Chelsea gallery scene in the 1990s, also chatted with the L.A. newspaper about his motivations for expanding to the City of Angels. [LAT]

– David Cameron Gets Art Schooled by Wife: The British Prime Minister took a private, early-hours tour of the National Gallery's Leonardo da Vinci exhibition with his wife, who studied fine art at the School of Creative Arts. "Mrs. Cameron did most of the talking, and he followed her around, listening attentively," said a gallery source. Aww. [Telegraph]

– An Art Theft Fit for an Acrobat: Two large works were stolen from Olympia, Washington's Matter Gallery over the weekend by burglars who rappelled into the gallery from a skylight they broke into on the roof. Owner Jo Gallaugher, sleuthing like only a gallerist would, noted, "The pieces they chose are the pieces that are most often admired by men in their 20s." [Olympian]

– Forgotten Pop Star to Show Paintings: English pop singer Robbie Williams has plans to exhibit his paintings to the public. The "Kids" singer has transformed his L.A. garage into an art studio and is "so pleased with his abstract works that he wants to show them to a wider audience." [Mirror]

– What's in a (Certain) Name?: How does a Renaissance sculpture go from $1.2 million to $3.8 million in two years? Smart dealers led a concerted research effort to confirm its attribution to the preeminent 17th-century court sculptor Matthais Steinl — leading to the tripling in valuation. [WSJ]

– Jérémy Gobé Awarded Inaugural Bullukian Prize: Gobé, 25, will receive €5,000 euros ($6,467) and access to a studio in Lyon, France, for 6 months. At the end of the residency, an exhibition of Gobé's work will be shown at the Echanges Culturels Bullukian, Lyon. [Connaissance des Arts]